Rain
by Nature9000
Summary: As all of his troubles weigh upon him, Roy finds himself falling deeper into the darkness. Can he turn himself around, and will he be able to leave his past behind and destroy the demon that threatens to destroy him?


Rain

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist

A/N: This is a bit different, I'm sure you'll enjoy this.

-THE RAIN BEATS DOWN-

Roy stood on the edge of a cliff, during the dark of night and in the heat of a storm. He was not sure how he got there, nor was he sure how watching the deadly rain could be so intriguing. He hated the rain, that much was for sure, for it only came with sadness, fear, pain, and so many other problems. He looked behind him, he was alone, nobody was around, and nobody could ever care. Of course, who could possibly care for someone such as him, one who caused so much suffering in life?

The ground grew wet and lightning flashed, Roy suddenly found himself falling, falling over the edge of the very cliff. Of course, he was sure that he was to blame for his fall. He could only watch as the raindrops flew upwards instead of drizzling, he always wanted to freefall, but never like this. _"Damn it,"_ Roy thought as he stretched his arm out. He tried to grab a hold of the wall, but the rain caused it to become far too wet to grasp. _"Damn it, I will never enjoy the rain. This is my fault though; I'm the one who caused this fall."_

One by one, he remembered all those that he let down. The ones that he cared for, the ones that he loved, each of them had left him behind because of his failures. He was sure of it, and he hated himself for it. His teacher, his best friend, Maes, and everyone else had been let down by him. He couldn't save Maes, he could save anyone. Elric had always called him a bastard, and he believed him. _"Screw this, I can't change the world alone."_ He felt that even Riza had given up on him. They all did, and it was only because he was a cold blooded murderer. He sought retribution for his crimes in Ishbal, and even after his battle with Pride, the ghosts still haunted him.

In the end, had he truly gained anything that he sought? Had he successfully won any retribution at all? How could Riza, the woman that he adored, possibly love him after he left her for two years? _"Oh yeah, I'm guilty of that too. I'm guilty of making the woman I love hate me, along with my subordinates, I should never have left."_ Roy grabbed for the rock wall once more, but his hand slipped down the wet rock once again.

"Damn it, why can't I stop this fall! Why can't I change? Damn this rain!" If only he could grab onto the rock wall, he could hope to turn things around and hope to change the way things were going. He knew that if he didn't do something, he would only plunge further down into the depths. Those that cared about him, when they cared about him, had offered help. They had offered him shelter, but he never took it when he had the chance. Maybe if he did, things would be much different than they were now, and he would not be falling with the rain.

_"Of course, I'm responsible for everything that I've ever done, and I guess this is how I pay for it. Why do I have to be alone though? Why is it that the rain only beats against me?"_ Roy growled and grabbed onto a branch, he looked up and felt the rain pouring on him, he didn't see anyone at the moment. _"I really am alone, this is really the end."_

He was sure that they all grew disappointed, he was sure that they all turned their backs on him. He could remember standing in the rain, watching as they left him, one by one. Did he just imagine that? He thought that he did, for even Riza bid him farewell. His demons had only left him for a short while, they returned and seemed to have been responsible for taking him to this cliff. He did refuse everyone's help, and perhaps he shouldn't have. How could he look his friends in the eye after all the wretched things he had done?

Roy closed his eyes and opened them once more, he saw the color red flowing down the Cliffside and wondered why there would be any red, and he realized that it was blood. _"Whose blood is this? Why is there blood dripping down the cliff?"_ He soon realized that the blood was that of all those he let down. Maes, the Elrics, the victims of the Ishbal war, it was their blood. A voice rang inside his head, it shouted that the blood spilt by him would never offer him any retribution, they could never forgive him. How could anybody forgive their murderer?

_"Maybe I am too far gone, maybe there isn't any hope. Nobody seems to want me around them, at least that isn't what I can see. I'm alone in my descent, of course, I'm the one that the rain beats down upon, and I can't possibly go up rather than plummet."_ Roy felt his fingers start to slip, he thought that perhaps it was best to let the rain beat him back down, it was easier to plummet than to climb. Not only that, but he couldn't possibly climb, even if there were some areas on the rocky wall that might help, they were still far too slippery. Roy groaned slightly and was about to give up when he looked up and thought he saw something at the top of the cliff.

He narrowed his eyes and stared closely at the top of the cliff, he could make out three people, but one was hard to catch. There was a man that appeared very majestic, he bore a white garment and a thorny crown. The woman next to him was shouting something out to him, but she could not be heard over the fierceness of the rain. The man repeated her and was heard over the rain, he told Roy to grab the vine beside him.

Roy looked at the wall and saw a long vine hanging from the top of the cliff, he had not been able to see it before, when there was so much rain blinding him. He swiftly grabbed a hold of the vine and looked up, the man then called out to him and told him to climb. At that, the third person came into view, it was the ghost of Pride. Pride seemed to carry all of Roy's past demons on him, and he used his power to make the rain beat down on Roy with extra fierceness.

Roy began to slowly ascend the vine, perhaps he could make it. Maybe there was hope for him to change, perhaps he could turn his life around. Pride spoke once more and the rain started to fall down on him with more fierceness than before, Roy screamed out as he tightened his grasp on the vine. He saw the vine starting to break, he couldn't fall again, he wouldn't allow himself to plunge any deeper into the despair. Roy noticed a small crevice in the rock wall, he looked up and saw that he could climb it if he tried.

He reached his hand out and gripped the wall, his fingers tightened onto the wall and his feet rested on a rock that was sticking from the wall. Roy looked to the side and watched as the vine fell, he looked back up and figured that he would only lose if he looked down any further. He began his ascent and the rain started to pound harder against him, he could only see one of his friends at the top. _"How am I important to the world, then?" _To that one person, he could have been the world, but it didn't feel like enough for him. Once more, he heard the man's voice speak, it ordered him to look up again. Roy struggled and stopped on the wall to look up, he saw more of his companions standing at the edge.

_"They didn't leave me? They don't hate me after all that I've done?"_ It appeared that was the case, he appeared they were actually willing to give him another chance, if they had even turned their backs on him to begin with. _"If so, then I _have_ to make it back! I can't possibly go any further, the only way I'll allow myself to go is up!"_ Roy continued to climb and fight against the rain. Once more he saw the blood pouring down the wall, he narrowed his eyes and frowned. _"The ghosts of my past may not forgive me, but I know that those that care about me will. You can no longer affect me, I won't allow it."_

The wall started to become more dangerous, and slicker than before. He looked up again and saw the people up there, each of them were there for him. There was Falman, Breda, Fuery, Ross, Armstrong, Olivier, Denny, Winry, Ed, Al, but he could not see Riza anywhere. _"My selfishness cost me my greatest friend…of course, when I left for two years, how could I expect her to come back to me after I broke her heart and trust for me?_" He couldn't see Havoc at all, either. _"Why is Havoc missing as well? I suppose it is still my fault."_

Pride laughed as the fear and the pain started to grow inside of Roy, he spoke and the rain began to cause him to slip. Roy's eyes widened and he let out a quick grunt, he didn't want to fall, he was too close to the top. However, if his greatest friends were gone because of him, then maybe the rain would truly win. He spotted a vine in the wall, he had to grab it anyway. As he took another step, his foot slipped, he shouted and grabbed the vine before he fell again. He struggled to hang on and looked up to feel the rain beating against his face. _"Crap!"_

Tears started to come to him, he felt himself losing his strength and losing his will, surely he would fall. Soon he heard a familiar voice, it was the voice of his old friend, Maes. _"Wait, Maes, but doesn't he hate me? After all, his death is my fault."_

_"No,"_ Maes replied. _"I wouldn't hate my best friend, don't blame yourself for my death, Roy. It's not your fault, you can't let yourself fall into depression because of my death. Don't give up, you have people who love and care for you, they're all waiting for you at the top."_

_"But…"_ Roy growled slightly, he wouldn't mind being with his old friend, but he had to agree with Maes. He couldn't give up, but he did want to be where his friend was. Just as he was about to let go, another familiar voice screamed out to him. His eyes widened with recognition, it was the voice of Riza. He looked up and saw her leaning over the edge, about twenty feet above him. Tears were in her eyes as she held an arm out to him, she was pleading and begging for him to continue climbing and take her arm. He smiled and knew that if she was willing to give him another chance and forgive him for his mistakes, then he would truly make it.

"Roy!" Another voice shouted from above. He looked up again and saw Havoc leaning over the edge, his face was stern and he was determined not to lose Roy. Both Havoc and Riza needed him to make it, and both of them intended to help him if they could. "Pardon my speech, but get your ass moving! Don't let the demon win!" Roy saw Pride move his lips, thunder crashed and the rain crashed down against him with extra force.

_"Damn it!"_

"Keep moving!"

"It's too hard!"

"Don't give us that crap, Roy!" Riza exclaimed. "Move up! Come on, we don't want to lose you!"

_"Damn…_" Roy groaned as he pulled himself up, he knew that as long as they continued to urge him on, he would definitely survive this. Pride shouted and the rain pelted against Roy at such devastating speed and power, but now, not even the worst hurricane could make him give up. _"No, I'm not going to stop, I'm going to make it out of this."_

He found himself nearing the top, it seemed like the distance was shorter than he thought it was before. He stretched his arm out and grabbed a rock, his breath was heavy from the climb, and just when he felt like his body would give out, four arms grabbed onto his. These arms belonged to Riza and Havoc, they were going to hold on as tight as they needed, for they wouldn't allow him to fall down any longer. They pulled him up, until he was fully over the cliff, they helped him to his feet and stared at him with soft smiles. The man with the crown placed his hand on Roy's shoulder and pointed, Roy followed his direction and saw a large number of people standing around. He didn't know that so many people cared that much, but then, maybe he never noticed it while wallowing in the rain.

Pride glared at Roy and growled, the rain seemed to not affect Roy any longer, and the demon's powers didn't seem like they would work. Pride roared and charged toward Roy, but he slipped on the ground and fell over the cliff. Roy turned and watched as the demon fell against his own rain. Pride tried to grab the vines and rocks on the way down, but they were far too slippery to grasp.

Roy wrapped his arm around Riza's waist and she rested her head against his shoulder, not afraid of losing him ever again. He had prevailed against his own depression, and his friends had helped him. They had always been there, but they were merely obscured by the rain. It was only his fears that made him think they left him, that much was known. Maybe now, with the entire country of Amestris behind him, and his closest friends by his side, he could truly change the country for the better. Roy grinned and watched on as the rain stopped falling from the skies and sun came out of hiding. This day was when he would never have to see the rain again, nor would he ever plummet and lose control of his identity.

* * *

Well, I hope you enjoyed that, let me know your thoughts! I hope you noticed some symbolism in this story, there is quite a bit of that in here.


End file.
